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Monday, May 14, 2012

Monday Musings.

My musings of late have been more like buckshot - a little here, a little there - lots of action, with very little impact.  I realized, as I power-walked through Home Debt-po on Saturday, that I was getting a lot more offers of help than usual.  Then I realized it was probably because:  a) I was not in my usual weekend garb - straight off the farm; and b) I had showered, fussed with my hair and put make-up on.  I was squeezing my errands into a tiny slot of time between oil change and driving my parents north for an early Mothers Day dinner.

Negotiating with aging parents is like tip-toeing through a mine field.  I am watching, with much alarm, as certain personality traits rise to the top like breaching marlins.  Things like impatience, cranky-ness, ornery-ness, petty-ness have been popping up on a regular basis.  All of a sudden, I am faced with decisions like:  Do I circle back after dinner in the restaurant to make sure that my dad has left the correct tip? 

Should I expect better behavior from my 'kids' on Mothers Day?  If so, should I send Scrappy to his room because he ignored me when I wanted to let him out because he was more interested in his marrow bone?  And then he peed on the floor right in front of the door?  Should I have him shod so that he won't cut his paw on gawdknowswhat and leave bloody paw prints throughout the house (including the furniture) before I noticed?  Should I wrap myself tightly in a giant Ace bandage and ship myself to Bali Hai?  Maybe.

10 comments:

Patty said...

LOL! Our animal "kids" certainly keep us on our toes.
I'm watching my grandparents going though the same thing. It's so hard to see, and even harder to know how to handle it. And, it reminds us that one day we'll be there too, and what would be want??

Carolyn said...

I almost did a circle-back to the dining table this past week also! I always feel terrible when my Stepdad pays because I KNOW that the tip is going to be pathetic, if not insulting. But I had DD in tow, anticipating a trip to the park (which I HAD just promised) and no good "reason" to go back inside.

Ugh.

Charade said...

I feel for you on the aging parents problems - and they don't seem to resolve themselves, either. My dad's crankiness was corrected, though, when we found out he was malnourished in spite of fixing himself three squares a day. Seems he was getting too many nightshades and filling up on bread he was making in his bread machine nearly every other day. Good luck to you all.

Susan said...

Patty - I know. I keep thinking, will this be me in 30 years? Yikes!

CR - Luckily, this place was so expensive, we won't be going back soon. Maybe they'll forget us...

Charade - That's interesting. I will have to pay more attention to what they're eating, although my mother is the queen of balanced meals. Thanks - we'll need it.

Mama Pea said...

All I know is I don't ever want to get old. Perhaps contrary to what our daughter might tell you, I think we're doing a pretty good job of holding our own on that front but, lordy, if I ever get to the point where I'm making other people uncomfortable or put-upon, please just shoot me.

I think it's hard to see our parents aging because they've always been the "big people", the "strong ones" in our lives. To see them reverting back to acting like two or three year olds is so hard. Sigh. They tolerated us when we were 2 or 3 so maybe we have to tolerate them when they exhibit such characteristics in aging.

P.S. Not only should Scrappy have been sent to his room, but he shouldn't get to watch any TV all week!

Candy C. said...

The aging parent thingy is hard. Hubby's mom is 86 and she actually POUTS if she thinks she isn't getting enough attention!! (sigh)
Not one of my four-legged "kids" did anything special for me for Mother's Day now that I think about it!! LOL!!

Unknown said...

I have no aging parents anymore, but that's a tough things, espceially if there's dementia involved....

Michelle said...

Sometimes I think kids are easier then our pets.

LindaCO said...

Sorry to hear about cranky parents. Nothing seems to satisfy sometimes.

Funny about Home Depot - and true in most locations, I'm sure.

Erin said...

Ah, the "circle back" LOL! We have to do that with one of our relatives :) (not my parents, thankfully!)...YET!